Southam is a market town on the River Itchen in the Feldon area of south Warwickshire, set in the rolling clay pasture and hedgerow farmland south of Royal Leamington Spa. The Warwick and Leamington BKA covers the area, and the landscape around it — the ancient limestone-ridge meadows of the Burton Dassett Hills to the south-east, the hedgerow hawthorn and field maple of the Itchen valley pastures, the churchyard lime and sycamore of the town centre, and the oilseed rape and white clover of the Feldon arable — gives local bees a dependable and pastoral lowland season in a part of Warwickshire whose deep enclosure history means exceptionally rich hedgerow forage.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the medieval limestone cottages and garden walls of the Wood Street and High Street conservation area, in the churchyard lime and sycamore of St James church and the recreation ground, along the Itchen watermeadow hawthorn and willow below Southam Holt, and in the garden cherry and apple trees of the Coventry Road and Kineton Road residential streets.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
CV32 4AA· approx. 11 km
Visit websiteCV21 2JT· approx. 16 km
Visit websiteCV3 4AQ· approx. 17 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Early flows come from blackthorn and cherry in the Arden hedgerows and oilseed rape on the lighter soils around Southam and Shipston. Hawthorn is abundant; sycamore and field maple fill the middle of May. Lime and sweet chestnut in the parkland around Warwick, Kenilworth and Stratford produce a strong June flow. Bramble and rosebay willowherb support July, and a solid ivy flow along the ironstone villages closes a long season.
More on beekeeping in WarwickshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
